Courtesy of Julie Packard

Curiosity Expert: Julie Packard

Executive Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium

• Monterey Bay Aquarium on YouTube
• Oceans Are Not Too Big to be Harmed
• Podcast: Carl Safina with Julie Packard
• Blog: Sea Notes
• Follow the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Facebook and Twitter!

Julie was born in Los Altos, California, and received her bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Her principal scientific interests focused on marine algal ecology and aquaculture.

Based on her work as a board member of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, in the late 1970s, Julie helped found the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the nation's first major public aquarium dedicated to interpreting a single region – the Monterey Bay.

Julie has served as the Aquarium's Executive Director since its opening and has led the institution through its first 26 years of hosting over 47 million visitors, almost 2 million free school group visitors and a series of new exhibitions and conservation and science initiatives. Today, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is widely acknowledged as a leader among aquariums worldwide. With a mission to "inspire conservation of the oceans," it has expanded the public's world view by bringing new animals to light – from jellies to deep sea animals to the open sea.

The Aquarium has also inspired the public to become involved in ocean conservation, redefining aquariums as a force for conservation. In its 20th year, the Aquarium broke new ground by being the first to exhibit a great white shark, and at the same time launched the Center for the Future of the Oceans, whose goal is to protect the oceans by promoting sound conservation policy. The Aquarium's respected Seafood Watch is helping mobilize consumers, chefs and major buyers to create market incentives for seafood from sustainable farmed and wild-caught sources. And it is a leading player in efforts by public aquariums to engage visitors around the issue of global climate change and its impacts on ocean life.

Because of her lifelong passion for conservation and the natural world, Julie is involved with many organizations dedicated to conservation activities. She has served as a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for 35 years and has been deeply involved in the foundation's conservation and science programs. Julie also chairs the board of the Aquarium's sister institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a world leader dedicated to development of new technologies for understanding the deep sea and global ocean systems. She has served on numerous other boards and committees related to conservation, including the California Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund.

She was 1998 recipient of the Audubon Medal for Conservation; was elected in 2009 as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was named a California Coastal Hero in 2009 by the California Coastal Commission and Sunset magazine. In 2010 she was honored by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for her commitment to ocean sustainability and leadership.

Julie was a member of the Pew Oceans Commission, a diverse group of U.S. leaders charged with developing recommendations to improve ocean resource management. She continues to serve on the Joint Oceans Commission Initiative that works to implement comprehensive reform of U.S. ocean policy.

She has addressed ocean issues as a featured speaker at international conferences, including the World Trade Organization, the International Aquarium Congress and the Seafood Summit. Her commentaries on ocean issues are featured regularly at HuffingtonPost.com and on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website.